Thursday, September 10, 2009

John Porcellino Book Signing Tour

Legendary small press artist/writer (and S.P.A.C.E. alumni) John Porcellino is on tour across the United States promoting the release of his newest collection of comics, Map of My Heart (released Sept. 29 and published by Drawn & Quarterly) and will be arriving in Columbus on Monday, October 12 for an appearance at Wholly Craft (3169 N. High St., http://www.whollycraft.net/) beginning at 7pm. (Interesting to note: Ohio has been called "The Heart of It All" and John will be making a grand total of 4 appearances throughout this fair state. He'll be in Akron on Sept. 23 @ Square Records, Cinci on Sept 29 @ Shake It! Records & on Oct 10 he'll be @ Cleveland's Visible Voice. For a full tour listing, see here.)

Map of My Heart celebrates the twentieth anniversary of John Porcellino’s seminal and influential comics zine, King-Cat Comics, which he started self-publishing in 1989 and which has been his predominant means of expression. In this collection, while Porcellino is living in isolation and experiencing the pain of divorce, he crafts melancholic, tender graphic ballad of heartbreak and reflection.

Known for his sad, quiet honesty rendered in his signature deceptively minimalist style, Porcellino has a command of graphic storytelling as sophisticated as the medium’s more visually intricate masters. Few other artists are able to so expertly contemplate the sadness, beauty, and wonder of life in so few lines.